Page 54 of Losing the Rhythm

“Fair enough. The guys always joke that I’m the older brother in the group. I guess I never really got it until now.”

“Do big brothers take care of others?”

“You’ve met Justin.”

Truth. Justin had been a big brother, and he was one of the most protective specifically because of his loss.

“So Justin’s a big brother in the group too?”

“Yeah, but even he needs help, right?”

“Then who helps you?” I asked.

Seth glanced at me briefly, his mouth clicking shut. Finally, after he took two turns, he said, “That’s a good question too. You’re good at those hard-hitting questions, aren’t you?”

“I’m sorry.”

Seth chuckled. “Don’t be. The guys do help me. Probably more than they realize. And I can’t forget about my stepdad. Don’t worry, I have people.” He smiled at me. “And you do too.”

“You want to be my big brother?”

That got Seth laughing. It was a nice sound, making him sound even younger. His eyes sparkled as he shook his head. “That is the furthest title I’d want when it comes to who I am to you. And while you’re good at pretending, you know better.”

I did know better. He was always telling me about his interest. Even now, we were going on a friendate that he refused to call anything else but an actual date. And my kiss with him. And how he always touched me in ways that felt all too intimate. And how I didn’t mind that he did.

Really, the only thing holding me back was the fear. Fear of change, of ruining things, of making everything a mess. Friendship wasn’t messy. It was actually quite fun. But dating. Being loved. I only knew it to be something messy from all the relationships I’d witnessed in the past.

“We’re here,” Seth said, and I realized I had been too lost in my thoughts to be aware that he had been driving for a little bit.

“What is this?”

“A music exhibit. They’re only here for a couple more weeks before they move on. I thought you’d like this before dinner.”

The building was medium sized, just a big block with a small entrance at the front. People were going in and out though and the parking lot was decently filled.

“The history of music, huh?” I said, thinking about the clue he had given me.

“I think it’s important to know as much as possible about your passions. And for you, that’s music. I know you do it for work and you have that financial connection you have to deal with. But anyone can look at you while you work and know that you genuinely do love music and creating it. Bryan helped me find this place. He has more connections with places like these, so he knew where to look for me. Ready?”

“Yeah, this looks good.” I leaned forward, trying to make out the posters a bit better.

“Great, wait here.” Seth jumped out and then lightly jogged around the truck. He opened my door for me and even held his hand out to assist me.

“So this is what being a gentleman is like?”

“For you, always. You deserve to be spoiled every moment that we can. I hope you can get lost in enjoying what you love the most.” He leaned closer to me. “And I look forward to seeing what you look like as you do so.”

I blushed hard, and let him help me out of the truck. I felt a little bubbly, excited and nervous. Our friendate had barely started, and yet he managed to already make me feel spoiled.

Chapter Sixteen

We were first hustled into a standing room with a small stage at the front and instruments decorating it. Screens hung on the wall behind it, and I almost thought they were going to show us a video clip before we entered the main exhibit hall.

Instead, in the middle of the room, a hologram appeared. It was of a young woman, looking only slightly older than me. It took a moment, but then it clicked.

“Oh, wow,” I said, completely amazed as she stood there.

For a long moment, she didn’t move, but we were too distracted with the lifelike hologram before us.

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